Omi's Tale The Leviathan
by dArkliTe-sPirit
Summary: When you think you want revenge, take another look. It may be answers that you are seeking. Oneshot


Well...this one's hard to explain. It's a little odd. Interpret it as you will. (shrugs) So...enjoy...

Disclaimer: Don't own XS or the concept of the Leviathan. The design, though, and the wu, are mine.

* * *

_He had been but a mere child when he first saw it._

_He was only four, on a fishing trip with Master Fung and several other monks. Dojo had refused to come along, on the grounds that he hated fishing. He remembered eagerly peeking over the ship's rail, wondering what he would catch. He had hoped it would be something big. As if on cue, there had been a sudden, strong tug on his line. He tried to pull in whatever was on it, but it was too powerful. He was dragged into the water._

_That was when he saw it: a large serpentine beast, many times longer than Master Fung, with slimy jade skin and small tawny flippers. He spied large aqua-colored eyes. His line was in its mouth. With a fierce tear, the creature pulled out the hook, cutting its lower lip. He now saw rows of teeth like steak knives. The sea serpent then swam up towards the boat, crashing through it while he watched in horror._

_A hand grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him up to the surface, onto a small lifeboat. He now saw the ship sinking. Except for himself, Master Fung, and three other monks, there were no other survivors. Fifteen monks were dead._

_He would never forget that day. No, not even eight years later…_

(---)

The four Dragons were on Dojo's back, heading towards the mid-Atlantic ocean. A new shen-gong-wu, the Heart of the Ocean, had just gone active.

"Um, Dojo, isn't the Heart of the Ocean from that movie? That really mushy one?" Raimundo asked, peering over Kimiko's shoulder too see the scroll. That earned him a smack from her. "Ay, chica! That hurt!" he hissed, rubbing the reddening spot on his face.

"You deserved it," Kimiko muttered.

"Well, yes, but it's also a real shen-gong-wu," Dojo explained. "With it, you can summon sea monsters like the Kraken." The four looked at the scroll, depicting an ocean-blue sapphire, cut into the shape of a heart. The small figure held it, and a squid-like monster rose.

"So, partner, where's it hidden?" Clay asked, looking back at Dojo.

"Well… with my great-aunt's friend. Levi. She had the shortest temper I've seen-" Dojo started.

"So, we looking for another dragon?"

"The Leviathan."

At this, Omi froze. He remembered the Leviathan. How it had killed so many monks. How it could've killed him. Rage boiled in his veins as Dojo circled around a deserted portion of the Atlantic.

"I think she's somewhere don th-" Dojo started. Omi, however, pulled out a certain shen-gong-wu, ready for revenge.

"Gills of Himachi!" he shouted, diving into the cool waters. Ignoring his friends' gasps of shock and their cries, he swam deeper.

The water here was far warmer than the Artic Ocean. For a minute or two, he felt tempted to do some fancy flips. He quickly shook off the urge, still going deeper. That monster was here somewhere, he knew it. It was just a matter of finding the beast.

The deeper he went, the colder he got. As the water became almost lightless, he heard a mournful sound, to his right. The echoes repeated the loud sound, amplifying it. He was close now, he knew. In fact, turning right, the Wudai Warrior saw a faint outline, about the same size from when he first saw it. He changed direction, swimming right. However, a few yards away, he realized he had made a grave mistake.

The creature was further away – and thus had looked smaller. Closer up, it was thicker than the tree trunk of an ancient oak. He saw an unblinking aqua-colored eye. Odd, though, how the size of the eye hadn't changed. But there was no time to think about that.

Now inches away, he struck with a kick. "Hyah! Man cooking goose! Dogs playing cards!" Repeatedly, he struck the beast – yet, it never flinched, never blinked. Tired, he floated next to the eye, then shouted, "Why will you not suffer!"

"Omi!"

He turned around to his friends, in the Silver Manta Ray. It had been Kimiko to shout his name. "Omi, you have to get back here! It's too dangerous!" she shouted. Omi shook his head no.

"I live for danger! And this monster deserves to be punished!" Omi retorted. He looked at Raimundo, who seemed to be staring at something right behind him.

"Omi – swim." Omi looked at Raimundo, then turned around. The beast's body was convulsing, twisting – and, too late, did Omi realize the aqua-colored "eye" was just a marking. A monstrous tentacle wrapped itself around him, squeezing only tight enough to hold him still. Then, a gigantic head came to face him.

The eyes were almost completely black, with a rim of red-orange color as the irises. He could see the razor sharp teeth, not dulled by time. However, algae grew on the jaw, giving it a bearded appearance. It looked quite malevolent, honestly.

The other three Wudai Warriors stared in shock. No shen-gong-wu would work on that thing. Helping Omi would be hopeless.

Omi glared at the Leviathan's face. It too stared back with its triangular eyes before speaking softly, in a feminine voice: "Hello, little one."

Omi at first wanted to point out that he was simply compact and not little but, looking at the fact that he couldn't even see where this tentacle began or how long this beast was, he realized that, to her, EVERY human was little.

Not getting a reply, it continued. "I am the Leviathan, protector of the Ocean and its Heart. I assume you are here for the shen-gong-wu?" She opened her mouth wide. Lodged between two of her back teeth was a small blue gem.

Omi's eyes widened. "The Heart of the Ocean!" Another tentacle beside him waved, indicating that he was right. He summoned his powers. "Wudai Neptune – Water!" A jet of water freed him from the tentacle and he swam up to the gem before she could recover. Grabbing it, it started to glow.

"Leviathan, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" he shouted, "I wager my Gills of Himachi against-" He stopped.

"Um, Dojo? How can that thing Showdown?" Clay asked cautiously. Dojo looked at Clay, as though as he was crazy. Then, he shouted out to Omi, "She's one of the higher beings! She doesn't need a shen-gong-wu to Showdown!" He ignored the urge to roll his eyes.

"The game will be a race in these icy waters. He who finishes first shall own the Heart of the Ocean," the Leviathan added softly, her words difficult to understand due to her mouth being open.

"Then let's go," Omi declared, rage in his voice, "Xiaolin Showdown!"

The world around shifted so fast, Omi couldn't keep up. One minute he was underwater, in the beast's mouth. The next, they were all in an icy world, his fellow warriors perched on an overhanging ledge. Beside him was a small creature, one that resembled a cross of a sea serpent and a squid. It giggled childishly.

"You?" Omi said, surprised. The miniature Leviathan nodded, swimming in a circle. He steeled himself. Great.

"Gong Yi Tempai! Whoo!" The Leviathan tore off like a rocket in the icy waters.

"Gills of Himachi! Wudai Neptune, Water!" Omi shouted. The wu gave him gills and the water propelled him forward. He was close to the beast. Odd…it seemed to be jumping in the air, doing tricks. Why would it not showdown?

Seeing Omi, the creature winked, zooming ahead. Growling, the Dragon of Water once more used his element to speed forward. As he concentrated on the showdown, the Leviathan seemed to be just playing games, enjoying herself.

"I don't get it," Raimundo said quietly, "Why is she playing around?"

"Well, last time anyone saw her was a millennium ago. Since then, she's probably been bored out of her mind," Dojo said, watching as she made an especially skilled flip. "She always was quite an acrobat."

No one else said a word as the two combatants raced through the chilling waters, Omi not giving an inch. The finish line was in sight, but the Leviathan was slightly ahead. He forced himself to go faster.

There was no need to. Inches from the line, the Leviathan halted, watching as Omi swam over the finish. The Xiaolin dimension vanished, replaced by the real world. Omi now held a blue gem in his hands, victor of the showdown. He had beaten the Leviathan.

"Way to go, Omi!"

"You go, dude!"

"Alright, lil' partner!"

The young monk heard his friends' cheers ringing hollow in his mind. It had been a victory…but a hollow one. What was the purpose? Why did the victory feel worthless …stupid …nothing more than a waste of time? Why couldn't he figure this out?

The Leviathan, back to full size, swam up next to him, one of her eyes staring at him. "You seek answers, do you not?" she asked. He knew she was right: he had not come for revenge, he realized, but for answers.

"I…" He paused, then asked the two questions now burning in his gut. "Why…why did you attack my boat so many years ago? And why did you let me win?" The Leviathan made an odd sound, which he took to be chuckling.

"Little one, Death strikes down many. Some of His victims seem too young, some do not. Either way, it is their time. Sometimes, Death cannot gather them all. The Sea was created to help Death in its tasks – and I am the embodiment of the Sea. I collect the souls He cannot gather. For many of your companions, it was past their time. I had a duty to fulfill.

"As for your victory – you earned it. You survived the Sea – and thus survived Death. Even though He was certain it was your time, you proved it was not." She paused. "We are both sure you live many, many more years before your time will come. Goodbye little one."

She nudged him towards the surfacing Silver Manta Ray. Omi looked at the glittering shen-gong-wu, then turned to look at the Leviathan. She was gone. Bewildered, Omi swam up to the Silver Manta Ray…

(---)

Deep below, the large beast smiled. "One day, soon, little one…we will meet again. I am sure of it." She didn't know how she knew, but she never doubted it, for who could fathom the Sea? Not even its embodiment knew all its secrets, and only the Great Being understood it fully.

She swam west. Death had another task for her, one she would willingly fulfill. Just as she was certain the young boy would willingly fulfill his duty in ridding the world of Evil. Though Death would vanish along with Evil, meaning her destiny would be to vanish, it was a destiny she looked forward to.

**End**


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